Lower back pain is second only to the common cold in the number of days of work missed each year, one website says. Read on for more details about what causes lower back pain and what you can do for relief...

Ninety percent of people will experience lower back pain at some point in their lives, according to Emedicinehealth.com, and as many as 50% of people will experience recurrent lower back pain, which is defined as more than one episode of the pain.

Lower back pain is extremely common, but what causes it and how is it treated?

Knowing the facts can make it easier for you to deal with your own lower back pain.

Causes of Lower Back PainThe causes of back pain are often complex.

Initial lower back pain is often caused by overuse or injury to the back muscles. This type of pain may be brought on by a sports injury, the jarring movement of a car accident, lifting something overly heavy, or simply overusing the muscles in some way.

If you experience any of these causes of back pain, it is critical that you stop what you are doing and treat the muscle injury right away.

Failure to treat the initial causes of back pain can lead to secondary problems.

You may begin to walk or move in a way that favors the sore muscles in your back. This often forces your body out of alignment, straining or damaging the healthy muscles that step in to take over.

This will compound the initial problem and cause further lower back pain, or perhaps pain in the upper back and shoulders.

Other possible causes of back pain include arthritis, compression fractures due to osteoporosis, spinal injury, herniated disc, and many other physical conditions.

Most of the causes of back pain can be treated at home during the early stages, so do not be afraid to attempt home remedies before consulting your physician.

Types of Lower Back PainLower back pain can be categorized as acute, recurrent or chronic.

Acute lower back pain occurs suddenly and lasts no longer than three months. Recurrent back pain is diagnosed when previous acute pain returns and again lasts less than three months. Chronic pain exists when the back is painful for longer than three months.

All lower back pain begins as acute pain. How you treat the back during this initial stage can help to determine whether the pain will become recurrent or even chronic. However, if your lower back pain is due to illness or severe injury, it may become recurrent or chronic despite you and your doctor’s best treatment efforts.

Home Remedies for Lower Back PainMild to moderate lower back pain can often be alleviated using home remedies.

The best position to rest a sore lower back is lying on the floor. Put pillows under your hips and knees and lie with your knees bent. You might even want to elevate your legs onto a chair, again with pillows under your knees. At night, you can try lying on your side with a pillow between your knees.

Do not spend more than two days resting your back like this. Even if it hurts, walking around is important to avoid weakening your muscles. Even while resting, try to walk around for a few minutes after every hour or so of rest.

For the first two to three days, apply ice at regular intervals. An ice pack should be used on the painful area for 15 minutes every three hours. Afterward, switch to a heating pad on the same schedule.

Take pain relievers or anti-inflammatory medications on a regular schedule. Waiting until the pain becomes unmanageable will reduce the efficiency of the medications. Never take more than the recommended dose, however, without consulting a physician.

Walking is an important part of healing your lower back pain. Start with walks of 5-10 minutes and gradually extend the length of your walks. Walking strengthens your muscles, allowing them to heal properly.

As your lower back pain subsides, take precautions to avoid its recurrence.

Preventing a Recurrence Maintaining good posture, taking stretch breaks during periods of extended sitting, getting assistance with heavy lifting and wearing shoes with proper support can all help to guard against recurrent lower back pain. If you are overweight, losing weight can help as well.

If the Pain Gets WorseIf your pain is severe, worsens rather than improves, or lasts longer than two weeks, see your doctor. If the pain is accompanied by fever, vomiting, nerve dysfunction, loss of bowel control or other symptoms, go to the emergency room.

Most often, your family physician will be able to diagnose the cause of your lower back pain and recommend a course of treatment after your first appointment.

However, some lower back pain does not have an obvious cause. Nonetheless, your doctor will be able to prescribe exercises and medications that can help to relieve your lower back pain.

In most cases, you will not undergo further diagnosis. MRIs, CT scans and other diagnostic tools are generally unhelpful in diagnosing lower back pain. However, if a more serious condition is indicated, such as a herniated disc, infection or tumor, then further diagnostic tools may be required. You may also need further diagnosis in workers comp cases or if a lawsuit is involved.

Only rarely is lower back pain treated with surgery. In many cases, even more serious difficulties such as a herniated disc can be treated with a combination of pain relievers of physical therapy. Most lower back pain goes away on its own, even with minimal treatment. You may experience recurrent pain, but most recurrent episodes will also go away eventually.

Treating Chronic Lower Back PainChronic low back pain can be treated using a combination of management techniques. Your doctor will likely prescribe a course of medication to relieve the pain and may give you PRN(as needed), muscle relaxants or other medications.

You will also work with a pain management specialist on a series of exercises to strengthen the back muscles. Core stabilization is also important, working to strengthen the muscles that support your spine.

You may receive injections, from Botox to acupuncture. Spinal stimulation has shown some positive results in some patients. Therapeutic massage or chiropractic manipulation may also be effective. Treatment of chronic low back pain tends to be an ongoing process of trial and error.

You may experience an easing of symptoms or even full remission for a period, followed by a recurrence of severe symptoms. A treatment that worked for a while may cease to work, while one that did not work at all might suddenly become helpful.

Much is still unknown about the management of chronic lower back pain. Keep the faith and remain determined to overcome your pain, as it appears that chronic pain of any sort often goes hand in hand with depression.

Whatever the cause of your lower back pain, there are remedies that will work to some degree for you. Consult a physician if your lower back pain lasts longer than two weeks or becomes severe. Together, you and your doctor, possibly in consultation with other specialists, will develop a course of treatment that is designed specifically for you.

How Bad is Your Back Pain? So your back hurts? Take our back pain quiz to see how severe it really is. You may need to see a doctor but have just been avoiding it thinking it will get better. On the other hand, your back pain may be more normal than you suspect. Find out where your back pain ranks in this ergonomics quiz.

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